The Best Part Of The Day
by Rosesdancinginmymind
Summary: Summary: What is the best part of Emma Swan's day? SwanMillsFamily fluff :)


_Summary: What is the best part of Emma Swan's day? SwanMillsFamily fluff :)_

_This is a oneshot that just popped into my head. SQ and SwanMillsFamily galore. I don't own Once or its characters. Apologies for any mistakes. Hope you enjoy :) _

The morning is good. It's not the best but it's pretty damn close. Emma Swan-Mills used to hate mornings. Before she came to Storybrooke mornings were a glaring reminder of another day alone in a life where she merely existed rather than living a life she wanted. Mornings used to remind her of loneliness and the hollowness of her life. Then a ten year old boy turned up on her doorstep and brought her to the place she never even knew she had been searching for.

Five years after being brought to Storybrooke mornings are now much better. Infinitesimally better. Every morning Emma wakes to the sounds of her house. The first to wake up is Lucy. She's three and she was definitely a surprise. A magical and amazing surprise. Lucy is definitely a morning person and Emma normally wakes up to the noise of Lucy chattering away to her stuffed animals. Then she'll hear her now fifteen year old son drag himself out of bed with a groan before he pretends to be a lion, or a bear, or a dragon, or anything else he can think of so he can scare/play with his sister. The excited squeals of Lucy never at her big brother's antics never fail to make Emma smile. _Oh how far we've all come_ Emma thinks before she turns to the best part of waking up.

The absolute best part of waking up is opening her eyes to see Regina sleeping in her arms. When they first started dating Regina was the morning person. Then as they continued their relationship Regina began to succumb to the safety and warmth of Emma's arms and now she is always last to wake. Emma loves it because in sleep her wife always looks so serene and happy. _As beautiful as the day I met her_ Emma thinks before kissing Regina until she stirs so they can start their day.

* * *

><p>Breakfast is chaotic but fun.<p>

Emma and Regina will reach the kitchen first and settle into their morning routine. What once might have frightened Emma now makes her blissfully happy. She never thought she wanted this level of domesticity. Now she has it she doesn't know how she managed to survive without it.

Regina will prepare the pancakes, or eggs, or toast, or whatever else she's decided to cook that morning. She always has been the better cook whilst Emma prefers to set up the coffee, juice and milk as she sets the table for breakfast. No matter what is going on in life the family always makes a point to share breakfast together.

Lucy runs downstairs and collides with Emma's legs. Emma laughs before sweeping her daughter up for a Mama bear hug. She kisses her daughter's cheek and head before dancing her over to Regina so that there two bear hug can become a three bear hug.

Henry is always last to emerge walking into the kitchen with a typical teenage slump. He may act the moody teen but he loves family breakfast as much as all of them. He grabs his plate of pancakes before tucking into the delicious meal. He's glad it's his brunette mother who cooks.

Emma smiles at Regina from across the table as they watch their two children eat. She links their hands under the table before leaning across to kiss Regina lovingly.

"Good morning," she says and Regina always nods in agreement.

* * *

><p>Work, if she has to pick, is the worst part of her day. That's mainly because it tends to be pretty boring though on one level she is thankful for that. Whilst she and Regina have had their fair share of adventures and danger, Emma has no desire to go after any more. She may have enjoyed her fast-paced work as a bounty hunter in the past but back then she had no-one to go home to. Now she does and so if her job is mostly chasing dogs and paperwork she can live with that.<p>

Work whilst boring is still not a terrible part of her day. Most people might complain about their jobs and whilst sometimes it's tiring Emma gets to work alongside her father every day. She spent many years alone but now she has a family. It took them a while but she accepted them as her parents and if she had to pick anyone in the world to be deputy sheriff she would still pick her dad.

Emma sighs as she signs off another report before looking up at the clock with a grin. Work may mean separation from her family but it has its perks. The lack of crime means she can often sneak away to go and "pester", as Regina lovingly puts it, her wife or go home early so can play baseball or a video game with Henry.

Work gives her stability. It gives her the opportunity to provide for her family. She complains about it at times but who doesn't? It has its tedious moments and she wishes Archie would find a way to keep Pongo under control but if that's what she can call the worst part of her day then Emma would say she's pretty damn lucky.

* * *

><p>Dinner is when the day picks back up into amazing again. It's still not the best part of the day but it falls just behind breakfast. Everyone is a little more tired but dinner is what Emma has always dreamed of. As a child wishing for a family she would always imagine sitting down surrounded by people who loved her and enjoying a home-cooked meal. She never truly thought she could have that.<p>

She does and god is she so grateful that she found it. She found Tallahassee in a truly unexpected place but sometimes love is borne where we least suspect it will be. In Regina she found everything she wanted. She found love, hope, happiness, family and a home she never wanted to leave.

At dinner she tends to be fairly quiet unless she has a particularly hilarious Pongo story to tell. Otherwise she's happy just to listen. She listens to tales of Regina's day and who's asking for what and the funny mishaps with her new secretary or whatever else made Regina's day. She listens to Henry talk about his school assignments and sports practice. She listens to Lucy talk about preschool and tell her tales of fairies and princesses.

She'll chime in when she wants to but Emma does love to listen because it gives her that feeling she sought for so long. At dinner she's surrounded by the stories that weave into the fabric of the life she leads. Dinner might just be tied with breakfast after all.

* * *

><p>Story time is always amazing.<p>

At story time they all clamber into Lucy's room which is decorated like a fairy castle at their daughter's request. Even Henry is called into the room because he is Lucy's favourite story teller. Emma never had story time as a kid and she missed all of that with Henry. She considers herself so very lucky that now she gets a chance to experience it.

It's always fun.

Lucy's favourite story is the one of the Saviour and the Queen. It's the story of her Mommies and she always asks Henry to tell it because apparently he tells it best. Emma must admit it is pretty funny to hear the story of her and Regina from Henry's point of view. It's certainly very different to the way she'd tell it but it's an awesome story all the same.

It's the story of them and how they both fought so hard to find a happy ending. They were two women who had suffered much and wanted the same things. They both wanted love and a home. They just kept looking in all the wrong places until they found each other.

Story time ends with them all tucking Lucy into bed. Emma wishes her daughter sweet dreams a good tomorrow. She hopes her little girl will always have both those things. Since finding her home Emma always does. Once story time ends it leads to Emma's favourite part of the day.

* * *

><p>Admittedly it's hard for Emma to pick a best part of the day because she loves it all but if you were to ask her the best part of the day she would say that it is right before she falls asleep. Every night she checks in on both her kids, a small smile blossoming on her face as she takes in how her children are growing more and more and how truly blessed she is to see it happen. After that she pads into her bedroom.<p>

Most nights she and Regina make love. Even after four years together they still want each other as much as they did that first fateful day in Emma's apartment. A night of succumbing to brewing tension and passion that started something wonderful. From that night their relationship evolved and it keeps evolving. One thing remains constant – her love for Regina.

She lies next to Regina at night. Regina always snuggles into Emma's side and Emma wraps her arms tight around her wife. Nightmares are mostly a thing of the past but even so Emma likes to try and make sure Regina feels safe and secure. Their legs always tangle together and Emma loves it because every night they stay connected. Emma rests her head on Regina's shoulder smiling at her sleeping wife.

Emma kisses Regina's cheek before she closes her eyes. As she does she looks back over her day and grins. Her life is what she never imagined it could be, it's a happy ever after. She has parents and friends. She has a job that keeps her paid and safe. She has two incredibly funny and smart kids. She has a true love and the opportunity to spend her life with the woman she adores. For Emma the best part of the day is this moment as she goes to sleep because instead of going to bed alone, she goes surrounded by love and joy.

In the past she would go to sleep knowing the only thing that awaited her the next day was work and loneliness.

Now, Emma Swan-Mills goes to sleep knowing that she will wake up next to Regina and to the sounds of her children. She knows that what awaits her is another good day. Even if it isn't she knows she'll still have her family by her side. At night enveloped in the joyful power of true love and a happy ending, that is the best part of a day.

_Thanks for reading :) _


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